Web developer
Introduction
So you've decided you want to run a web development business. This guide will take you through the issues you need to consider and give you practical pointers on getting started.
Sector trends
The pace of change has been very brisk since the birth of the Internet only a couple of decades ago. At the beginning of the 1990s, relatively few people had even heard of the Internet. The few websites that existed comprised just plain text on a blank background. By the end of that decade, a website had become a 'must-have' for most businesses, many homes and businesses had Internet access and more and more people were going online to buy goods and services.
In the meantime, technological developments were occurring at a similarly rapid pace. Standards groups and software companies refined and developed the technologies that form the backbone of the Internet, making increasingly complex graphical effects and dynamic applications possible. The growth of broadband Internet access during the 2000s improved the speeds at which users could access online resources, while changing attitudes and improved security led to huge growth in the number of e-commerce transactions. WiFi and mobile Internet technology brought the Internet out of the home and office and into cafes, pubs, transport and the open air. The late 2000s and 2010 saw more and more businesses and households get access to super-fast broadband.
This huge growth saw a brief 'boom' in demand for web development services at the end of the 1990s. Web developers could charge very high fees to clients who often knew very little about what was actually involved in designing and publishing a website, and there was plenty of work to go around. These days, clients are more knowledgeable about what they need, what they don't need, and how much it should cost. More and more people are able to do basic web design and maintenance themselves, using software tools such as Microsoft's FrontPage. As a result, the web development industry has become very competitive.
The economic downturn which began in 2008 caused difficulties for the industry as businesses and organisations cut right back on their spending. There are currently many businesses in the web development industry competing for a reduced amount of work.
To keep ahead of the game, web developers have had to look for new opportunities and ensure that their range of skills is right up to date. Now that many businesses already have a website of some description, developers have focussed on making sure that their clients make full use of the power of the Internet by incorporating services such as content management systems and 'web 2.0' collaborative interactivity, e-commerce into their sites. Other areas of opportunity include designing for the still rapidly evolving portable device (PD) sector, which includes mobile phones, 'smart' phones like the Apple iPhone and its competitors, Blackberries and other small hand-held devices. The launch of the hugely successful iPhone opened up new opportunities for developers of independent 'apps' to run on it.
Joining a trade association is an excellent way of keeping up to date with developments in your industry. The web design sector is represented by the UK Web Design Association .
